Motor vehicle speedometer



April 25, 1933; A. A. THOMANN ET AL 1,905,015

MOTOR VEHI CLE S PEEDOMETER Filed July 50, 1950 Patenteai Apr; 25, 1933 PATNT OFFICE ALUIS, A. THGMANN, F BROQKLINE, AND ALBERT H, THOMANIN', OF MEDFGRD,

MAS$ACHUSETTS MO'I'QR VEHICLE SPEEDOMETEB Apfilicstion filed ."Fuly so, 1930. Serial No. were.

This invention relates to a speedometer comprising a cylindrical dial rotatabiy osciiiatable by the forward'travei of a vehicle to indicate varying speeds of the vehicle in a Well known manner.

The object of the invention is to provioie a speedometer characterized as above stated, comprising also recording means actuated hy the vehicle and conditioned by the dial, to record the speed of the vehicle, so that in the event of an accidenh the speed of the vehicle at the time of the accident, may he recorded, the power requireci to make a record being transmitted from a moving part of the vehicle and conditionedby the ciiai When the hitter is moving to indicate speed changes, to record speed a 'tained by the vehicie The invention is embodied in a recording speedometer comprising a speeci recorder inciuciing a record ribbon and a piuraiity of inciiepencientiy iiovahie markers arranged. to ribbon at different ciistances from ng mechanism intermediate cor-oer and a moving oi the adapteci to he conditioneci by s of the to transmit motion to aici mechanism inciutiing ati .oning ineinher nfiovahie by sothat the mechanism may he conactuate either mariner seoi associateci With the ciiai, n so o i ac nst the conditioning A 18111 i posi ion causing the actuation of either h operating mechanism the accompanying thawing" "forming 's specification,-

sicie view of a speedometer the invention.

is section on iine 2-2 of Fig a section on iine 33 of Fig- igure 3a is a view simiiar to a portion of Figure 3 showing a different condition. Figure is a section on iine 4- oi ure .Z,

Figures ion anti 4% are views similar to Fig ure 4, showing different conditions.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig ure 2,

is a section on line 6-6 of Fighicie, 14; designates the cyiiniiricai speeciome ter (iiai having speeci-ino'icating characters on its periphery, which are singly visible through a sight opening 15 in the casing. The dial is rotatabiy osciliatahie hy the for- Ward trav l of the vehicle to indicate speeci variations in the usuai Way;

A speed reconier is iocateti in the casing anti. comprises a record rihhon 9A preferahiy ofpaper, anti spoois anoi 26 on "which. the

ends of the rihhon are vvounci, spools sup portinganai permitting endvvise movement of a portion or the rihhon in a preriieterinineci oath saici rihhon portion being hacked by fixeri perforated guide her 27. The spooi 25 is PIOViCiQti with ratchet 28 cons eieinent of news "or l iiillg the rihhon step by step,

The spooi is idie anti rotatable hy j of the ribbon therefrom. he inciseing a disk 29 to the idie spooi as, a brake shoe 30 on a spring attacheti toe fined support maintains the rihhon nnoier suitabie tension,

The speeci recorder comprises aiso a row of markers 31, preferably neeciies inovahie intiependentiy in fixeri guises 32 saici markers heing norinaiiy retracted by springs 33 from the ribbon, and projectihie independentiy to perforate and mark the ribbon at diiferent distances "from its eoiges.

(Figure 5) in the guide bar 27,

Motion is transmittefi from the vehicle to the ribbon-feeding spool 25, anoi the markers 3L to feed the ribbon and project the mark- The markers are in this instance, nrogected through orifices ers, by the operating mechanism next described, said mechanism being conditioned by oscillations of the dial.

The shaft is continuously rotated when the vehicle is traveling, by torque-transmitting connections between it and a wheel of the vehicle. shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, about which the dial is adapted to rotatively oscillate, the usual or any suitable means being provided permitting the dial to rock or fluctuate in the usual way about said shaft, which is continuously rotated unidirectionally by connections (not shown) with a wheel of the vehicle, the speed or rotation of the shaft varying with that of the vehicle.

16 designates a shaft journaled in bearings 17 in the casing and provided with a multiple cam 36. Torque-transmitting connections including the elements 18, 20, 19 and 23 connect the shaft 230 with the shaft 17, to cause rotation of the cam 36.

A carrier including a member 37 movable in fixed guides 38 and 39, has a trundle roll 41, pressed by a spring 40 (Figure 3) against the cam 36. The carrier includes also a member 42, fixed to the member 37 and movable in fixed guides 43 and 44. A bell crank lever 45 is pivoted at 46 to a fixed frame member 47, and has a slot 48 receiving a stud 49 on the carrier member 42. The other arm of the lever 45 carries a pawl 50, engaging the ratchet 28. The carrier members 37 and 42 are reciprocated by the cam 36 and spring 40,

and oscillate the bell crank lever 45 to cause the pawl 50 to impart a step by step rotation to the ribbon-feeding spool.

The carrier member 42 has a shoulder 52 at the junction of a wider and narrower portion thereof, as shown by Figure 3. A stop which includes a longer member 53 and a shorter member 56 is movable on fixed guides crosswise of the path of the carrier 42 by the selecting mechanism hereinafter described, to alternately prevent and permit endwise movement of the carrier.

The said stop member 53 has a slot 54 through which the shoulder 52 is movable when the bar is moved to the dotted line position shown by Figure 4. The function of the shorter stop member 56 will be presently described. A v

The intermediate operating mechanism includes an adjustable conditioning member 66, adapted to condition said mechanism to cause actuation of either marker 31 thereby.

The speedometer comprises selecting mechanism operable by oscillations of the dial about its axis, to render the ribbon-feeding means operative, and adjust the conditioning member 66 to cause the actuation of either marker.

Said selecting mechanism includes a row of cams 57 projecting from the periphery of the dial, and helically arranged as shown by Said connections include a shaft 230,

Figure 7, one of the end cams being adjacent one edge of said periphery, and the other end cam adjacent the opposite edge. A helical flange 58 constituting a guide, is asso ciated with the cams 57 and bears on the lower ends thereof.

The ball-shaped terminal 59 of a lever arm 60 bears on the guide 58, and on the periphery of the dial, and is adapted to be displaced outward. from the position shown by Figure 2, when a cam 57 encounters it. The arm 60 is one arm of a two-armed selecting lever operable by the cams 57 and including a central or hub portion 61, and another arm 62, which extends through a slot 63 (Figure 4) in one end of the stop bar 53. The central member 61 is connected with a fixed frame member in the casing 12, by a universal joint connection, designated as a whole by 64 in Figures 2 and 6, said connection providing a fulcrum permitting a universal oscillation of the selecting lever, and constant contact of the terminal 59 thereof, with the surfaces presented by the helical guide 58 and cams 57. A spring 65 (Figure 2) connecting the lever arm 62 with the frame member, presses the terminal 59-yieldingly against the periphery of the dial, and against the guide 58 and cams 57.

The arm 60 is resilient and presses the ter- 9 minal 59 against the dial. Said terminal is preferably rotatable loosely on the arm 60 to contact anti-frictionally with the dial and its cams.

The above-mentioned conditioning member 66 is a two-armed bar pivoted between its arms on an extension 37 a of the carrier member 37, and freely oscillatable on said extension. One arm of the bar 66 is provided with a slot 67, receiving the arm 62 of the selecting lever. The other arm is provided with a marker-projecting ear or tappet 68, adapted to encounter a marker 31 and project the same when the carrier members 37 and 42 are moved to cause the described actuation shown by Figure 45. A pawl 560 (Figure 9) fixed to a short rockv shaft 561 is adapted to engage a notch in the member 56 and hold the latter retracted. The rock shaft is journaled in a fixed bearing and has a bevelled car 562, adapted to coo 'erate with a bevelled ear on the carrier mem er 42.

The speed recorder is preferably supported by a slide or drawer movable into and out of the casin 12, so that the ribbon 24, the

,spools carrying it, and the markers 31 my X bottom member 7 (Figures 3, and 6) slidlocking the drawer and able on the bottom of the casing, a top member 71, side members 7 2, and an end member 73. The spools 25 and 26 are journaled in the bottom and top members, and the marker guides 32 are fixed to the bottom member. The casing 12 is provided with an opening 74, which is covered by the end member 78, when the drawer is inserted in the casing, so that dust and moisture are excluded. The casing 12 may be provided with guides 7 5 (Figure 6) which prevent upward displacement of the drawer.

When the drawer is moved outward, the ratchet 28 is withdrawn from the pawl 50, the arrangement being such that the recorder is separable from the operating mechanism and is rendered operative by sliding the drawer into the casing 12.

if desired, means may be provided for preventing unauthorized removal thereof.

037cm time When the arms and 62 of the selecting lever are in the position shown by Figure 2, the arm 62 has moved the stop member 53 to the full line position, Figure 4, and into the path of theshoulder 52, on the slide member At the same time the member 53 has moved the shorter stop member 56, so that the is locked by the pawl 560 in a red position, and the continuously rohg shaft 16 does not impart motion to the I 'er members 3? and (2,

it hen the dial partly rotates in" the direc of the arrotv in Figure 2, one of the e,.-.nns' 5? acts on the terminal 59 he select-- Z. lever moves the 62 o lever to the right from the position shown by Figthus moving the stop bar e pe on (Figure 4-), c -on *lglUf-H do), A. d A. J. I.

to project the nier an the member 37} to the l position shown by Figure of the member at? engages a tooth of the ratchet 528. it, the same time, the lug 563 the carrier member on the roc sha'l lug to disengage the pawl 560 from the shorter stop member spring so retracts the carrier embers 3"? and as when the cam l6 encounters the trundle roll 4ll, so that the engagement the pawl 56 with the ratchet causes a feed movement of the ribbon 24. During the retraction of the carrier members, the shorter stop bar'56, now released by the disengagement of the pawl 560 therefrom is pressed by the spring 55 to position locating its tongue 56a in the path oi the shoulder 52, and pie of the dial between two cams 57, and that the shorter stop bar 56 prevents feeding when the terminal 59 bears on a cam 57 which is at rest, so that the ribbon is fed only when movement of the terminal 59 is caused by a moving cam 57. After a cam 57 has passed from the terminal 59 in either direction, the several parts assume the position shown by Figure 2, and the longer stop bar 53 pushes the smaller bar 56 to the locked position shown by Figure When the marker 31 nearest one edge of the ribbon acts on the latter, record is made on the edge portion oi the ribbon of a, certain attained speed, for example, five miles an hour. When the next marker acts on the ribbon, record is made farther from the edge and at a diilerent point lengthwise of the ribbon, of a greater attained speed, as twenty miles an hour, and so on, the marker nearest the opposite edge of the ribbon recording the highest speed If a car equipped with our recording speedometer becomes involved in an accident, the last marked portion of the ribbon may be examined for evidence as the speed of the car or just before the last stop there i, and may be removed and preserved for subsequent use.

Our speedometer does not record actual time when mark is on the ribbon, and therefore does not include time-indicating mechanism. The only portion of he rib bon which is likely to be iiseiul, is that on which marks are at or inst beztore the time when an occurs.

in case the ve .icle is abruptly stopped by. a disabling ace" 3t, its speed at the inonient of stopping is indicated by the position on ribbon of the last mark Other marks eviously mad bon will be spaced more or less maria-and therefore readil 1 distinguishable frun the marl; indicating the final speed and reed on to prove the speed at the time an accident,

we are not lini' d t the specific construe tion shown and described may variously modify the Within the scope of the appended claiins.

ive claim:

l. a speed recording device having a for the markers including a conditioning member adapted to cause said operating mechanism to actuate any marker, and select ing mechanism operable by oscillations of the cylindrical member to adjust said conditioning member to position causing the actuation of any marker by the operating mechanism.

2. A speed recording device as specified by claim 1, said operating mechanism including an actuating shaft having a cam and driven by the vehicle, and a carrier reciprocable in fixed guides by the cam and by a spring cooperating therewith. v

3. in a speed recording device having a ribbon feeding means controlled by a speed responsive means; a cylindrical member rotativelyoscillatable by a motor vehicle at a speed determined by that of the vehicle, a plurality of independently movable markers arranged to mark the ribbon at different distances from its edges, operating mechanism for the markers including a conditioning member adapted to cause a predetermined marker to be actuated, and a selecting mechanism operable by oscillations of the cylindrical member to adjust said conditioning member to position causing the actuation of any marker b the operating mechanism, said selecting mec anism including a helical row of cams arran ed on the periphery of the cylindrical memer, a helical guide on the periphery of the cylindrical member, and a selecting lever fulcrumed on a fixed support,

said lever having one" end thereof bearing.

yieldingly on said helical guide and maintained thereby in the path of said cams, the other end of the leverbeing operatively connected with said conditioning member to move the same to position to actuate any one of said markers.

4. In a speed recording device having a ribbon feeding means controlled by a speed responsive means; a cylindrical member rotatively oscillatable by a motor vehicle at a speed determined by that of the vehicle, a plurality of independently movable markers arranged to mark the ribbon at different distances from its edges, operating mechanism for the markers driven by the motor vehicle, said mechanism including a shaft having a cam, a carrier reciprocable by said cam and by a spring cooperating therewith, and a Hmditioning member pivoted on said carrier and having a slotted arm and a tappet arm, the latter arm adapted'to actuate any of said markers; and a selecting mechanism operable by oscillations of the cylindrical member and coacting with the slotted arm of the conditioning member to adjust said conditioning member to position, causing the actuation of any marker by the operating mechanism. 5. A speed recording device as specified by claim 4, said selecting mechanism including a helical row of cams arranged on the periphery of the cylindrical member, a helical guide on the periphery of the cylindrical member and a pivoted selecting lever having one end thereof bearing yieldingly on the helical guide and maintained thereby in the path of said cams, the other end of the lever being operatively connected with the slotted arm of the conditioning member to move the same to position to actuate any one of said markers.

6. In a speed recording device having a ribbon feeding means controlled by a speed responsive means; a cylindrical member rotatively oscillatable by a motor vehicle at a speed determined by that of the vehicle, a plurality of independently movable markers arranged to mark the ribbon at different distances from its edges, operating mechanism for the marks driven by the motor vehicle, said mechanism including a shaft having a cam, a carrier reciprocable by said cam and by a spring cooperating therewith, and a conditioning member pivoted on said carrier and having a slotted arm and tappet arm, the latter arm adapted to actuate any of said markers, a stop slidable on fixed guides crosswise of the path ofsaid carrier and movable to different positions, one permitting and the other preventing movement of the carrier; and a selecting mechanism operable by oscillations of the cylindrical member and coacting with the slotted arm of the conditioning member to adjust said conditioning member to position, causing the actuation of any marker by the operating mechanism, said selecting mechanism moving the stop to any of said positions.

7 In a speed recording device having ribbon feeding means controlled by a speed responsive means; a. cylindrical member rotatively oscillatable by a vehicle at a speed'determined by that of the vehicle, a plurality of independently movable markers arranged to markthe ribbon at different distances from its edges; operating mechanism for the markers, said mechanism including a. shaft having a cam, a carrier reciprocable by said cam and by a spring cooperating therewith, and a conditioning member pivoted'on said carrier and having a slotted arm an a tappet arm, the latter adapted to actuate eitherof said markers, a stop slidable on fixed guides crosswise of'the path of said carrier and movable to different positions, one permitting and the other preventing, movement of the carrier and selecting mechanism operable by oscillations of the cylindrical member to ad ust said conditioning member to position causing the actuation of any marker by the said operating mechanism, and to move said stop to any of said positions, said selecting mechanism including a helical row of cams fixed to the periphery of the cylindrical member, a helical guide fixed to said periphery, and a twoarmed selecting lever universally fulcrumed on a fixed support, one arm of said lever bearing yieldingly on said helical guide and maintained thereby in the path of said cams, and the other arm engaged with said stop and with said conditioning member, and adapted to shift the stop to any of said positions, and move the conditioning member to position to actuate any of said markers.

8. A speed recording device as specified by claim 7 an arm of said selecting lever being resilient and provided with a rounded loosely rotatable terminal, adapted to antifrictionally contact with the said helical guide and cams.

9. A speed recording device as specified by claim 7 said stop including a longer member engaged by the selecting lever and provided with a slot permitting the projection of the carrier When the stop is in one of said positons, and a shorter member movable by aspring into said slot to contract the latter and prevent the projection of the carrier when the longer member is in the other position, means being provided operable by movements of the carrier for alternately locking the shorter stop member Withdrawn from said slot, and releasing it to permit its projection into the slot.

In testimony whereof We have afiixed our signatures.

ALOIS A. THOMANN. ALBERT H. THOMANN. 

